Review: Apple Watch SE is the smartwatch for first-time buyers and no-updates

In late September, Apple announced the Apple Watch SE, an inexpensive alternative to the recently launched Apple Watch Series 6. While it didn’t launch at the suspicious price or with the anticipated plastic case, it was clear that Apple had consumers in mind every day when they made the Apple Watch SE.

The Apple Watch SE is a new, lower-cost Apple Watch packed with features without requiring users to break the bank to get one. It has the design of the Apple Watch Series 4 with the S5 processor of the Apple Watch Series 5. Conveniently, watchOS 7 comes pre-installed on the device.

The watch body is only available in aluminum, which serves to keep the price low. Like previous models, it comes in silver, space gray, and gold.

The smallest case measures 40mm, while the largest measures 44mm. The Retina display is 30% larger than the Apple Watch Series 3, but similarly it doesn’t have an always-on display. The 40mm case features a resolution of 324 by 394 pixels, while the 44mm case has a resolution of 368 by 448 pixels, both a significant improvement over the Apple Watch Series 3.

The Apple Watch SE has many of the same internals as its higher-priced brother, the Apple Watch Series 6. It features the same always-on accelerometer, gyroscope, and altimeter. Like the more expensive model, the budget one also monitors noise, detects drops and even has international emergency calls in the LTE version.

The lower cost Wi-Fi version allows you to pair your Apple Watch SE with your iPhone. Once paired, you can sue it to initiate calls on your iPhone, play and control music and podcasts, monitor your heart rate, track your sleep, track your workouts, and more.

There is of course a cellular version, which allows the Watch to perform many of its essential tasks via LTE, rather than connecting to an iPhone. Since Apple’s Family Setup implementation requires LTE, this seems essential to Apple’s plan.

Family settings allow family members who do not own iPhones, such as children or older family members, to use an Apple Watch. Once paired with the family group organizer’s iPhone, Apple Watch-only members get their own phone numbers and the ability to make FaceTime audio calls, track activities, create Memoji, and more.

There are even special distraction-free watch faces for kids, designed to avoid distractions while doing school work.

The Apple Watch SE also includes a dual-core S5 System-in-Package, making it about twice as fast as the S3 SiP in the Apple Watch Series 3.

Some important distinctions should be made between the Apple Watch SE and, say, the Apple Watch Series 6. Unlike the latter, the Apple Watch SE does not have an always-on display.

This may be inconvenient for some users, but for someone who has never had an always-on display, they may not notice what they are missing.

From a personal use case standpoint, I primarily use my Apple Watch to track my fitness goals, walk directions, and alert me to text messages; the actual timing function is generally secondary, as I’m never far from an easily accessible watch.

It’s also missing two key health features: the ability to do an EKG or measure your blood oxygen level. These features were left out to keep the price low, and for many people, that might be reason enough to splurge on the Apple Watch Series 6.

The Apple Watch SE is apparently the same experience as wearing any other Apple Watch running watchOS 7. You get the same experiences: Memoji, hearing health tracking, fitness tracking, hand washing timers, and more. If you already like Apple’s smartwatch offering, the Apple Watch SE is sure to please.

Where you will probably notice the differences is when you upgrade from an older model. That was certainly true in my case.

On a personal note, as someone who upgraded from the Apple Watch Series 3, I can say that the Apple Watch SE is significantly faster to respond to actions, due to the SiP being two generations newer. I’ve never thought of my Apple Watch Series 3 as slow, but the Apple Watch SE feels very, very fast.

Battery life is still around 18 hours with moderate use, and while we’d have liked to see it stretched a bit more, it’s still respectable. It manages to run all day, even with obsessive controls and the constant ping of text messages and app alerts. If you want to use it for sleep tracking, charging it a few times during the day such as while showering, dining, and getting ready for the day is usually sufficient.

If you don’t want to keep track of your sleep, placing it on your charging pad overnight means you’ll never worry about running out of battery during the day.

As Apple has said, the Apple Watch SE is designed to appeal to first-time buyers or those looking for an upgrade at a modest price.

It’s also a great “kid’s first Apple Watch” model. Because it can be paired with a caregiver’s iPhone, the Apple Watch is a great alternative to a cell phone for young children or those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of owning a smartphone.

If you are upgrading from the Apple Watch Series 3 or earlier, you will likely find the Apple Watch SE a worthwhile investment. If you’re a first-time buyer looking for a reliable Apple Watch that you don’t need to spend $ 400 on, but will remain compatible for years to come, it might be the one for you.

Suppose you have children or relatives that you want to add to your Family Settings. In that case, the Apple Watch SE with LTE beats the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE, if you can find the older model. The Apple Watch SE with LTE has better battery life, a newer processor, and will likely be compatible with Apple for longer.

Still, we wouldn’t recommend the update just yet for anyone using the Apple Watch Series 4 or Apple Watch Series 5; you will lose some features, like the ability to take ECG or an always-on display, that you have come to enjoy.

If you’re looking for the Apple Watch SE, you can buy one from Apple for $ 279 for the 40mm GPS-WiFi version, or $ 309 for a 44mm GPS-WiFi version. If you want to upgrade to an LTE version, a 40mm model will cost you $ 329 and a 44mm model costs $ 359.

• Affordable without skimping on core features
• Twice faster than Apple Watch SE
• Comes with watchOS 7
• International emergency calls (LTE versions)
• Always active altimeter

• No screen always on
• No ECG functions
• No SpO2 monitoring
• Battery life could be a bit longer